Please read carefully the following information about Elevation Certificates in the City of Naples. If you have questions or concerns, please contact the Floodplain Coordinator via email or by phone at 239-213-5039.

If you have determined that your building lies in a flood zone, a Flood Elevation Certificate can tell you how high your building was built in relation to that flood zone. These certificates are required for all new construction and substantial improvements to a building. An Elevation Certificate is an important document that every property owner should have, and in case of a disaster, would demonstrate to City authorities whether your building is below, at or above the required elevation.

If the Elevation Certificate shows that your building is lower than the required elevation, then the “50% rule” would apply to your building. This rule means that if your building is in a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) and is damaged and/or improved to an amount greater than 50% of its market value, it will have to be raised to meet the current elevation requirement.

To Obtain Your Flood Elevation Certificate The City of Naples only maintains elevation certificates for properties located within the city limits. If you are searching for an elevation certificate for the unincorporated area of Collier County please contact them at 239-252-2942.

The City is working towards having all elevation certificates available on-line. Until this process is completed please contact the Floodplain Coordinator via email or by phone at 239-213-5039. If there is no elevation certificate on file for your building, you will need to contact a state-registered land surveyor.

Things To Consider When Hiring A Surveyor To Prepare An Elevation Certificate

Is the surveyor properly licensed through the Florida Department of Professional Regulation? Click Here to see a listing of licensed surveyors and surveying companies actively working in the City of Naples. (This list only represents surveyors who have submitted elevation certificates in the last 10 years and is no way an endorsement of an individual company.) Click Here to connect to the Florida Department of Professional Regulation (FDPR)

Did you contact the surveyor, or did the surveyor contact you?

Take diligent effort to avoid being scammed.

If you are approached by someone claiming to be a surveyor who can give you a “really good deal” to prepare an elevation certificate, be careful and thoroughly check out that they are a legitimate, Florida licensed surveyor with an established business location that you can access any work day of the week.

Ask to see their surveyor’s license and take the time to compare it with information on the FDPR website.

Ask to see a copy of their business occupational license.

Quality professional surveying work is not going to be offered to you as a “really good price if I can do it right now” deal. If the elevation certificate is not properly completed on the correct form with all the necessary information including the signature and seal of the surveyor, it will not be accepted by FEMA or the insurance agent.

To help the City of Naples update information related to the property’s building permit file, it is recommended that the surveyor include a written commitment to provide the City with an electronic copy or an original of the signed and sealed elevation certificate.

Tie Beam Inspection Holds To verify that a building has been properly elevated, a Spot Elevation Certificate is required by the Building Department prior to a tie beam inspection. This is required for all new construction and “conforming” additions. A Final Elevation Certificate is also required by the Building Department prior to obtaining a Certificate of Occupancy for new construction or substantial improvements, Certificate of Completions for all additions.

Elevation Datum In 2005, when the new flood maps went into effect for the community the FIRMs showed both National Geodetic Vertical Datum 1929 (NGVD) and North American Vertical Datum 1988 (NAVD). The 2012 FIRMs will only show NAVD. The City of Naples has required that all elevation certificates are completed in NAVD since 2007. There is a difference in elevation of approximately 1.3 feet in southwest Florida between the two datums.

Notice To Surveyors, Architects, and Engineers The current FEMA Elevation Certificate and Floodproofing Certificate are linked below.

As per new requirements that the City of Naples has to follow for being a participant in the National Flood Insurance Program and the Community Rating System - all new construction (including additions) elevation certificates will be required to have colored photographs as per below:

Building Under Construction - A minimum of (2) photographs showing the slabe structure (this is to confirm Section A7)